Playbill's new weekly feature examines the box-office trends of the past week.

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Broadway’s production count dropped from 29 to 27 this past week, and the box-office went with it. The cumulative gross for the week ending Jan. 18 was $24,414,288. Last week, it was $21,336,320. Average paid admission dipped from $103.21 to $100.51.

The Last Ship, Sting’s autobiographical musical about shipbuilding in his English hometown, concluded its run at the Neil Simon. The final week played to 88% capacity crowds and took in 68% of its potential gross. That was a slight improvement over the previous week.

If/Then, the contemporary musical starring Idina Menzel, had its last week before going on hiatus. It will return Feb. 3. Theatregoers said “Farewell, for now” to the turn of 49% of the possible box office and seats that were 76% full. That represented a minor decline from the previous week.

Meanwhile, back from a break was the hit production of Terrence McNally’s It’s Only a Play, which played five performances at its new home at the Jacobs Theater. Those five shows played before 88% capacity audiences and collected 62% of the potential gross. The hit production of the London import The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time, which recently announced that it has recouped its costs, had another fine week. Houses stood at 97% capacity, and box office was 86% of the utmost.

Hedwig co-creator John Cameron Mitchell took over the lead in the Broadway production of his musical on Jan. 21. The six performances he played last week ran before 87% crowds and brought in 93% of the gross. Those house sizes were smaller than the 94%-capacity audiences during the final week of Michael C. Hall’s turn in the lead. However, average ticket price was up from $104.42 to $115.72.